


Nightmares

by SpenceRose



Category: The Ascendance Trilogy - Jennifer A. Nielsen
Genre: Conner has nightmares but would never admit it, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Mott's enduring loyalty, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 23:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12443796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpenceRose/pseuds/SpenceRose
Summary: “It’s okay. It was just a nightmare.”“Are you telling that to me or yourself?”





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> *deep sigh* I don't know, my guy.

Bevin Conner wasn't the type of man who got nightmares very often. At least, not that anyone knew of. Truth be told, he had them several times a week. He would never admit to it though, not even to Mott, someone he considered himself quite close to. 

It was rare when they'd be this bad though. Terrified whimpers left him as he thrashed in bed, getting tangled in the sheets and the restraining nature getting to him. Finally, he startled awake, sitting up and a yell being torn from his throat. He took a moment to gather his wits, trying to catch his breath.

He only opened his eyes when his door opened and Mott came into the room, shoulders tense and eyes darting around the room as if searching for the source of danger. Slowly, his gaze came to rest on Conner, who was trying to untangle himself from his covers. 

“Are you okay? I thought I heard you yelling,” he said, moving closer. Conner glanced up to him and nodded slowly, pushing sweat soaked hair from his face. 

“Yes, I’m alright,” he said, forcing himself to look over at the vigil. He took another moment to gather himself and then waved his hand dismissively. “Thank you for your concern but you may go now.”

Mott hesitated. Something in his master’s face worried him. Conner moved to settle back in bed and then looked over at Mott, a rather irritated expression crossing his features. He just wanted to sleep. 

“What are you still doing here?” he all but snapped. Mott hesitated again, though not in fear of consequences. He did not fear Conner.

“Are you sure you're okay? You seem rather… upset. And–” he stepped closer “–are you crying?”

Conner blinked and hurriedly looked away, bringing a hand to his face. Sure enough, his cheeks were slick with tears that were still falling. He quickly wiped them away and looked back to the younger man, straightening up to try to regain his authority. 

“Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine, as I told you before,” he said. “Now I believe I must get some rest. You may go.”

Mott didn't move for a moment, studying his master as he settled into bed again. Finally he sighed and said, “Of course, sir” before turning to leave the room. 

He didn't stray very far however, unsure if whatever terrors that had tormented Conner's dreams before would return. Though he suspected they might. 

And he was proven correct when he heard the same yelling come from his bedroom. 

Instantly he turned on his heel to rush back to the room. This time however Conner wasn't awake, Mott seeing him thrash around from the nightmares and terrified sounds leave him. 

Mott finally moved to go to the large bed, kneeling on it to get close and tried to shake him awake. Conner though was such a deep sleeper that it took several times and a lot of calling his name for him to react. He gasped loudly as he awoke, eyes snapping open and he pushed away from Mott, almost falling off the bed in the process. He took large gulping breaths as if he’d been unable to breathe for quite sometime.

“Conner?” Mott asked finally, not having moved from where he was with his arms outstretched towards him with his palms out as if he were trying to calm a wild horse. Conner’s eyes snapped to him, fear still filling them before it was blinked away along with fresh tears. It had been quite some time since Mott had seen him in such a vulnerable state. 

“Mott...” Conner breathed, his tone somewhere between relieved and surprised at having him there. He took another deep breath and the hair that had fallen into his face was pushed back out of his eyes. “It’s okay. It was just a nightmare.”

“Are you telling that to me or yourself?” 

There was a pause and it was clear that Conner had no answer for that. He truly had no idea which it was. Though if he had to guess, he supposed it was more for himself. He just sighed tiredly and moved to stand, not saying anything as he walked to the doors of the balcony. 

Mott watched him all the while, still kneeling on the bed and his hands having lowered to rest by his sides. He finally moved as Conner opened the doors, allowing the cool evening breeze to come in. The older of the two took a deep breath, eyes closing briefly as he felt the light brush of the air against his tearstained face and the slight movement it caused in his hair. 

“Conner, are you alright?” Mott asked and Conner started at the proximity of his voice. He turned to face his vigil, who was but a scant few feet behind him now.

“Don’t do that,” he hissed. Though Mott did not budge, a stern expression on his face as he waited for an answer to his question. Conner sighed and turned to look over the land of his estate. “I will be. There is no reason to be worried, old friend. A few nightmares are nothing new to me.”

“Will you be going back to sleep?”

He hesitated before answering, “Likely not. I’ve no wish to return to the torment of my dreams.”

“Conner, you need sleep. You look exhausted.”

“I told you, I’m fine. Now leave me be for the night.”

Mott rolled his eyes and did not move. 

“The reason I hear no footsteps better because you are walking as silent as a ghost once again.”

“The reason you hear no footsteps is because I have not moved.”

Conner’s eyes were turned back to Mott in an icy glare, the dark circles under them most prominent as the moonlight hit his face at this angle. Slowly he said, “I believe I asked for you to leave.”

“As  _ obedient _ as you know me to be,  _ sir _ , I must also look after your wellbeing,” Mott said and stepped forward to take Conner’s elbow and direct him towards the chair that faced the balcony. “Especially since you seem so insistent on not doing it yourself.”

Conner sat at Mott’s prompting and looked up at him, eyeing him for a moment. He rolled his eyes finally and sat back in a rather undignified way, muttering about how he could in fact look after himself. Mott watched him a moment, watching his eyelids flutter as he resisted the call of sleep. He sighed, not especially surprised with the stubbornness he’d come to expect from Conner. 

He moved to kneel down so they may speak easier and so he could reach forward to place a hand on Conner’s cheek without an awkward angle. Conner watched him and, despite himself, found himself leaning into the gentle touch, Mott’s thumb calmly stroking along his cheekbone in a soothing fashion. 

“Conner,” he said in a soft but stern tone. “Please, you must look after yourself. You need rest, just as anyone else does.” There was a brief moment as Conner’s eyes closed further, his exhaustion seemingly hitting him all at once as Mott continued, “If you wish, I will be stay to help keep the nightmares away.”

“I am not a child, Mott. I don’t need you to hold my hand through the night,” Conner said then as he reluctantly pulled away from his friend’s gentle touch. He sighed as he stood, glancing to his inviting bed. “Though I am too tired to argue your other point.”

Mott nodded as he stood and a hand was placed gently on Conner’s back as he walked with him back towards the bed. He went to leave then, trusting him to actually get into bed on his own. Though he stopped as he felt Conner’s slim fingers around his wrist, his hold firm. 

Though he was hesitant, he finally let go of his pride long enough to admit, “I may not need you to hold my hand through the night but it’ll be easier to fall asleep if I am not alone in the dark.”

Mott nodded slowly and said in the same gentle tone he’d used before, “Of course, Conner.”


End file.
